Chapter 6

"Does it hurt that much? If you know it hurts, then don't make the same mistake again," Cecelia said flatly.

In my daze, a tear slid down my cheek. "There won't be another time. My wife loves someone else more. She doesn't want me, so I won't want her either..."

The hand on my back suddenly went still.

I had no recollection of what happened after that. Everything was a blur.

All I knew was that when I woke again, Cecelia was slumped beside my bed, dark circles under her eyes. It looked as though she had stayed up all night to watch over me.

I tried to move my arm, but a sharp pain shot through the wound on my back.

I sucked in a breath before I could stop myself.

The sound startled Cecelia awake.

"Wes, are you all right?" she asked, her voice full of concern.

Only after the words left her did she seem to remember that she was the one who had hurt me.

No one knew my condition better than she did.

Guilt flickered across her face. She froze in her seat, visibly uncomfortable, as though she expected me to confront her.

But I merely offered her a faint smile and replied in a hoarse voice, "I'm fine. By the way, it's been a long time since we visited Dad. Let's go see him in a couple of days."

When I was 14 and had nothing to my name, Royce had taken me in without hesitation. I owed him everything.

Before I left, there were a few final things I wanted to do.

Cecelia agreed without hesitation.

…

I spent nearly five days in bed to recover. As soon as I was well enough to get up, I headed straight to the supermarket.

Cecelia stayed close to me the entire time, as though she feared I might disappear without warning.

We pushed the cart together and made our way through the supplements aisle and the home goods section.

Whenever I spotted something Royce might find useful, I took it off the shelf and added it to the cart.

At first, Cecelia tried to discourage me. "Do we really need to buy this much? We can always come back for anything else he needs."

I simply smiled without answering and continued to fill the cart.

I was so focused on shopping that I failed to notice how tightly she gripped the strap of her bag.

Once we had finished with the supplements, I headed to the home goods section to find a lumbar pillow for Royce.

As we passed the bedding aisle, a salesperson greeted Cecelia warmly. "Ms. Marquand, it's good to see you again! How's that bedding set you and Mr. Lowther picked out last time? Is there anything else you need to go with it?"

Cecelia's smile froze. She immediately turned to me and explained, "Wes, don't get the wrong idea. I just helped Harry pick out some bedding for his new place. We didn't sleep together or anything."

I chuckled softly. "It's fine. I know. You've told me plenty of times how innocent your relationship is."

"You're not angry?"

"There's nothing to be angry about," I replied.

The time for our souls to switch back was almost here. Soon, Cecelia would no longer be my wife.

What reason did I have to be angry anymore?

"I used to be too petty about it," I admitted, my tone light as I browsed the lumbar pillows. "Harold grew up with you, so it's only natural that you two are close. I shouldn't have made such a big deal out of it."

Cecelia frowned deeply. "But didn't you say love is selfish? That it doesn't tolerate sharing?"

I didn't answer her question. Instead, I picked out a pillow that seemed suitable. "I think Dad will be comfortable with this one."

"Wesley..."

"What is it?" I asked with a gentle smile.

Cecelia parted her lips, but no words came out. In the end, she fell silent and stared at me without blinking, her eyes full of unease.

After a few seconds, I looked away and headed to the register to pay.